Off for Christmas....

Well, this will be the last blog entry for a while as I leave this morning for my sisters in Vancouver, WA. I am totally in the Christmas mood now. Last night was the Christmas concert that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir does annually. It had a Norwegian theme with special guest singer Sissel. It was just wonderful as always!!!! This was followed up with a Christmas concert from the St Olaf College Choir from Northfield Minnesota. I really love Christmas music and these were two wonderful programs!!!!!
I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Holiday!!!!

Merry Christmas !!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Take care,
edgar

Exchange stitching and a fire

I worked on exchanges last night for a little bit. We had some friends over for Christmas dinner and a present exchange so there really wasn't much time for much else.

But, yesterday here at work there was a devastating fire just a couple of doors down Mission street. I get in here at about 6:15/6:30 am...I like to start early and nobody else gets in until about 9 so I have lots of quiet time to do what needs to get done without interruption. Well, when I got in I noticed a fire truck down the street putting out a fire and did not think much about it as that happens all the time south of market.

At 9:30 when I was walking back from the post office I could see numerous fire trucks, hook and ladders and firemen pouring water onto and the same building. I could even see huge flames pouring out of where the roof should have been. At 12 pm I walked out to go to lunch...by this time Mission street had been blocked off at 8th and 7th streets and not only where they still pouring water into the building by also foam. I went to my usual Pizza place on the corner of 7th and mission after cutting across the street. I ate my little piece of sausage, peperoni and mushroom pizza slice, it was the special of the day. I usually sit there and read until 1:00 pm but yesterday I just couldn't stand the smoke pouring down the street which in turn was seeping into the Pizza Place. I then tried to walk back to work and the police would not let anyone pass back up Mission so I had to walk up to Market street down to 8th and then back to Mission to get back to work.

This morning Mission Street is still blocked off and there is still and fire truck with extended ladder at the building with firemen walking around.
Here are some snaps from about 12:45 pm yesterday.

This is looking east towards 7th street, you can see all the trucks and the smoke.


You can see the smoke pouring out of the now roofless building.



This is not as dramatic as it was but smoke and flames where just puring out of these windows.


This is looking east down Mission showing the sidewalk that I take everyday that is impassable due to the mountain of foam and waves of water just cascading out of the building.


I was asked by Juliane to post of snap of Serenity package and found it last night, so here you go Juliane....


Sorry it is so dark.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

Lottery Snap

I can finally post a snap of some stitching.... the Lottery piece is done and waiting for the winner. Here is a snap.


Corner. I really like it I made this from a free chart by Blue Ribbon Designs that I got in an order from Needlecraft, because not only is it fall (a favorite season) but because it has owls!!!
I used the recommended GAST floss but the fabric is some I had and I do not remember what it is.

I also got out the Birthday surprise today......it is going overseas so that might take a bit longer this time of year!!!

Not too much else going on, I stitched quite a bit last night but they are both for next months exchanges, Winter House and Winter Quaker. Then I need to get on the ball about the Valentine and scissor fob exchange.....I am really enjoying these exchanges!!!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

Stiching and Movie watching

This weekend I was finishing up some exchanges and watched quite a few movies. Now, as you all know I am a big movie fan and watch lots of flicks, mostly classics..... but Holiday films are some of my favorites. Saturday night was "Christmas Carol" night. The Charles Dickens story is at the very top of my all time favorite list of stories and I really enjoy all the visual interpretations of it that make it to film. I started off the evening with the 1938 Christmas Carol. What is interesting about this version is that June Lockhart and both her parents Gene and Kathleen are in this film playing Bob Cratchit, Mrs. Cratchit and their daughter Belinda Cratchit. Then it was on to the 1951 Scrooge, with Hermione Baddeley as Mrs Cratchit. Then to the 1999 TV version with Patrick Stewart playing E. Scrooge. Rounding out the evening with my all time, but not very good book interpretation but a 1970 musical version called Scrooge. On Friday I saw the 1984 version with George C Scott and the 2000 TV version "A Divas Christmas" with Vanessa Williams. There is a very good TV version called "Ms. Scrooge" with Cicely Tyson set in the mid 20th Century that is not out on DVD but it does come on TV occasionally so if you can catch it it is worth a look. There are other versions out there but these are the ones I really like. Then last night was "other Holiday film" night..... starting with "The Homecoming" A Christmas Story" the pilot for the Walton's series and finishing the movie extravaganza evening with 1954's "White Christmas."

Then it was over to "Family Guy" and "American Dad" two shows that I wont miss and AD was the Christmas show and really very funny!!!!

I will have a snap or two tomorrow.....


Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

Still Stitching and a movie

Still working on some exchange pieces. It is a bit larger than I had anticipated so is taking a little longer. While stitching last night I did not watch the reruns of Ugly Betty or Greys Anatomy, when I first see the shows it make me crazy so I am not going to go through it for the rerun.....and with the strike it looks like a reruns ahead, matey!! But I did watch a movie, and great big soap opera of a film called "The End of the Affair," 1955. Set in war torn a blitzing London during WWII it is about an illicit affair and jealousy. I really like Deborah Kerr and had never seen this flick, not the best and it has been remade in 1999 using the same name, I will need to find this and see how well Julianne Moore did in the DK roll.

That's about it - short and sweet - and Kathryn, yes I really love all the different peels - lime, lemon, grapefruit and orange. Granny would make tons of this and all different kinds of candies every year including turtles with her homemade caramel, chocolate covered cherries (a family staple it would seem at Christmas) and just pounds of fudge, both with and with out pecans. Also the miles of cheese straws that are piped out and baked!!! I really love those suckers!!!! Ahhhh Christmas, an eating frenzy worthy of any Great White shark!!!!! :)


Oh, there was the SBQ -

Do you do anything special to your threads before putting them through your fabric to make them more manageable?

I have started to use Thread Heaven and the floss be it silk or cotton does seem to get less twisted and I can use a longer thread, probably too long.
There ya go.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

Some shopping but no pictures

We went shopping last night, what a mad house. We left right after I got home from work and it was still pretty packed and crazy with all the people. That just got worse the longer we were at the mall. I did quite a bit of stitching after we got home but there are no snaps as it is an exchange piece and I am not sure they don't check in here occasionally.

Thank you all so much for the kind things about my Grannies stuff. I really do enjoy getting them out every year. It brings back such super memories. This is the time of year that we draw close to family and friends and remember the past while looking toward the future. I think it is imperative that the same rituals be followed be they hanging stockings, eating candied peel or just the same old Syllabub served on Christmas Eve, something that my Southern family has done since my 81 year old Mom was a girl and had Christmas yearly with her Grandmother in Tarboro NC. We all crave the same old thing and repeat the cozy and comfortable.
That to me is Christmas.

There ya go - my Christmas - liquor and fruit - who could ask for anything more!!!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

SBBC e-mails sent & some Granny decorations

Well, all of the e-mails for the SBBC are out there, that took a little longer than I thought, but is well worth it!! I am so happy that everyone has been so encouraging with my working the club. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but ya know once I put my mind to it....just buckling down and get-r-done attitude prevails and I seem to be pulling this sucker off!!!
I was kind of intimidated sort of like the way that borniscu thing intimidates me!! In fact we went over to Needle in a Haystack yesterday after work and got some stuff, but Mary, sweet Mary showed me this pattern by Just Nan of a Christmas Borniscu and isn't it just the prettiest thing. I was verily tempted but stopped myself before I succumbed to temptation. I will probably go back after Christmas and get that sucker!!!! It is calling my name....... I can hear it...... :) off on a tangent...surprise!

I did take some snaps of my Grannies old Christmas things and here is the Noel banner.


This is about6 feet long and made of felt pieces. She, my Granny, saw a banner like this in Rich's Department Store in Atlanta and copied it from that. She actually made two of them my sister has the other one that Granny gave to my Mom. This has been around as long as I have so it dates back to the late 50's early 60's. Here is a picture of the tree skit that she made.


The base is some sort of red cotton and all the green is a kind of mottled felt. All the decoration is hand applied bugle beads, real pearls (she broke up a necklace she did not want anymore) and sequins. The edge is bound in a machine made lace stuff that is starting to show its age. This would have been made in the mid 50's and was from no pattern but from just cutting and doing. There is only one of these and it has been spotted over the years but I use it every year and will continue into the future.

I also am pleased to show the finished stockings I made for my niece and nephew.


I am very happy with the way they turned out. I do have to give a big THANK YOU to Sheldon for sewing these thing up. They are winging away to Vancouver now......along with other presents, keep watch Cissy!

I had some questions from yesterday. The first is how the candle stay up on the tree....there are special little clip/cups that are brass/silvery and they snap/clip onto the end of a branch - these hold the candles. It takes about 10 mins to light them all. Von - there will be next year for the SBBC, look forward to having you!! Nela - with 61 people it would be impossible to make a list of every ones likes and dislikes for publication....I would suggest looking at the blogs and getting a feel for what people are stitching to see what people like or don't.

I am leaving off with a snap of the soochie - the Peach was extra cute last night .....

She has spooky eye.... and is till frightened of the camera.

Thanks for stopping by and for all the support!!!!! It truly makes it all worth it!!!!

Take care,
edgar

BBC assignments and a Christmas Party

I have not disappeared, but have been checking and re-checking the list of participants in the BBC making sure that I haven't left anyone off. Signing up closed on Friday until next year for the BBC and the list grew to 61 people!! WOOHOO!!! That is way more people than I thought would want to be in the group. I am so very happy with the huge turn out!!!!!! I worked on drawing names and here is a snap of the mechanism that I used.

I call it the "Bowl of Destiny".......

I will be sending out e-mails today and tomorrow so they are on the way!!!

Over the weekend we went to one of the annual Christmas parties that I always enjoy going to and always go (as you know I am a homebody and really do not care to go out into society, but for this party I make the exception)....it is an annual Christmas Party that is given by Chris and Mo. The spectacular-spectacular at their party is always a tree lit with candles. Now, I have known Chris for about15 years, all the way back to Ocala Florida, before we both ended up out here in San Francisco. He has always had giant trees lit with candles and it truly is a magnificent tradition that I wait for every year. Here are some snaps that in no way do this spectacle justice.



Here is a close up



In their front stair hall was the coolest decoration. They had suspended a huge branch from the ceiling and hung lights an glass icicles from it. Here is a snap


Chris gets these candles from somewhere in Germany. They are special low burning candles made to go on a tree. If you have never seen a tree lit by candles it is truly something to behold!!!

That's about it ..... on the stitching front nothing that I can show right now as it is all for exchanges and presents.

Thanks for stopping by!!!
take care,
edgar

Christmas decorations and last day to sign up...

Well, we have arrived at the last day to sign up with the BBC. I will be closing it tonight and assigning partners this weekend and hope to have all the information e-mails sent out over the next few days.

Carol asked about what we/I did with the Christmas cards that we receive every year. I keep many of them. Especially the handmade ones or the picture/photo ones. I have lots of those in my big secretary. I do that with many cards during the year not just from Christmas. I have some cards that were sent to me by friends from years and years ago...even back to when I was in college and before. I am a total pack rat like that. I have letters and cards from my grandparents that they sent me for birthdays and different events from 30+ years ago, and now that they are no longer here they are nice to have around. I treat all handmade things like that. My paternal grandmother was a great crafter and I have many cards/letters and things that she made over the years. She has been gone almost 10 years now and I wouldn't trade these bits of paper for anything in the world. The other more mundane or store bought cards I will keep until the next year when I do the cards again and then I will either make tags for presents or some other crafty thing depending on what the actual cards lends itself to. Whatever is left over I will try and recycle. In the garage in our building there has in years past been a bin for recycling Christmas cards, paper and boxes. That was a lot of answer for such an easy question. I really enjoy doing the cards and will probably continue doing them.

Since this week I have turned to the non-photo kind of stitching I thought I would take some pics of our Christmas decorations. We live in an apartment building so have no yard to decorate. We do have the hall, and since we are at the end we can almost do anything we want to. In years past we have piled tons of real pine garland and poinsettias all over the place, but then have heard from the building manager that it really is not allowed because of all the mess and stuff dropping off. I personally think that she just doesn't want to vacuum, but that is a whole other story and since this is Christmas we won't go there!! We vacuum everyday and pick up all the bits that fall of anyway so it is not her problem....not going to go there! This past spring our buildings where sold so I am not sure how they would take to the live decorations so we went all artificial. Here are some snaps....


We have these windows that line the opposite wall from our doorway and it is here that we put the garland and stuff.
Here is a snap of the hanging badge between the windows.



And here is the wreath that my Mom sent us a few years ago.

Rico did all this decorating so he is to get the credit. He also did the tree, also artificial, but I forgot to get a picture. We go back and forth between a real tree and a fake one... this year it was the fake one. I'll get a snap on Monday. We are using the tree skirt the my Grandmother made 40+ years ago and have the NOEL banner she made 50+ years ago hanging up in the stairway. I really like using family things every year.

Have a great weekend, thanks for stopping by!!!!!

Take care,
edgar

Secret Exchange stitching

Last night I was working on the upcoming exchanges and so I have no picture. :(

I have just about finished my Christmas Cards and gotten them out. It seems that no matter how many I do I still don't get everyone. You know what I mean....you trot out to the mailbox and pull out the mail and there is a card from someone you forgot or left off the list from last year.

One more day and the BBC will close. I have uploaded everyone that has sent me an email wanting to join and sent out invites to the blog. If you do not see your name or have not gotten an invite please let me know so that I can make sure that you are included or if you did not receive the invite or anything else - just shoot off an email.

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Take care,
edgar

A little Quaker Christmas Stitching

Still furiously working out the kinks in the new BBC and getting everyone loaded and sent emails. It is quite a job. I had no idea what it would be like, but I am enjoying meeting everyone.... and please let me now if you don't see or get something. I am trying to get and be organized by the 7th but some things do fall through the cracks. :)

I worked a little on QC and here is a progress snap.


This picture makes the linen look all wonky, oh well you get the idea!

While I was stitching I watched a really good movie I hadn't seen in a long time. It is call "The Train." It was done in 1964 and stars Burt Lancaster and Jeanne Moreau. It is about a Nazi Colonel stealing art treasures from Pris and the resistance has to stop it without destroying the art. It is from the book Rose Valland, a curator in Paris during the German occupation that kept records of art the Nazis were, shall we say, moving about.......
Well worth a look and an excellent film.

Two more days to sign up........

Thanks for stopping by!!!!!

Take care,
edgar

No stitching

I finished up my Christmas Cards last night so I did no stitching.
I also worked quite a bit on the BBC. Remember that this Friday, December 7th is the last day to sign up. So if you had questions or anything please ask now. Because after the 7th the club will be closed for this year. I will try and get out the partner names and info over the weekend, fingers crossed!!! I am tying up some loose ends with last years club group. Lets all remember this is supposed to be fun, so PLEASE don't flake on anybody as that only causes hurt feelings all around.

I hope everybody is doing well and that your week is going great!!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Take care,
edgar

A quick post....

Just a short post today. I worked on BP last night as on Friday and Saturday I worked on Christmas cards and wrapping up presents to be shipped today and tomorrow. I have a lot of things to get out for overseas friends.

Her is a progress snap:


Almost finished with the border then on to the filling in the middle.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

Take care,
edgar

QC Do Dad stitching and the BBC

This morning I got in and had some questions about my receiving BBC info. I had not received everyones information. What had happened was that a ton of you had gotten caught up in the spam-o-filter and I in my ignorance never thought to check. Usually all I get are offers that would make a sailor blush, and I usually just don't bother to check. I have now weeded through all the fabulous offers and such and pulled out the important BBC emails from everyone and will start adding them today with emails to follow with access to the board. If you do not hear from me with in a day or so of your sending an e-mail then throw a comment here or on the BBC I will be checking everywhere to make sure that ALL are included.
Thank you for your patience, please mind the gap!!!

Last night while watching the movie called "The Ref" ( clever and bitchy Christmas movie) I worked on QC and got some of the do-dads done and finished up that medallion I was working on yesterday. Here is a progress snap....


That square thing to the left is the start of a fallen down tulip and vase.

Tonight is RR night and I will probably work on some Christmas wrapping and cards this weekend. What a trauma the card has been this year. I started the cards on Tuesday and there is still a pile to go!! Getting them out over a few days makes it seem like fun and not a chore. I really like sending cards but we deviated from what we normally do this year. Over the past 6 or 7 years we have been sending out a family shot of us and the hounds in hand made cards. This year I just did not think there was a good enough snap to send out even from the summer so we are doing regular store bough cards without a snap, and I have already been hearing through the grapevine about how some are anticipating the card for this year.
Boy is the guilt starting early or what!!!
I will just have to work extra hard next year on the card. :)

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

First posting to the BBC

I have made the first posting, basically the guidelines for the club -
If you are unsure of the club or have any questions please fell free to ask!!!!

Take care,
edgar

QC stitching and another reminder....BBC

Last night out came the Quaker Christmas.
So during "Shrek the Halls" and then " Grinch" I was a'workin on a Christmas piece.
It wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't watch Peanuts, Grinch and Frosty on TV.
( I have the DVD's but it isn't the same if I can't complain about the commercials. :)

Here is a progress snap of the QC.


Sorry about it being so dark, cameras fault, of course!!

Just a reminder about the Birthday Bloggers Club sign ups, just 8 more days!!
I'm going to try and get out emails this evening to those that have signed up, fingers crossed!!!

Don't you just love poached egg on toast, yummy.
It was last nights dinner and I'm still thinking about it! :)

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Take care,
edgar

NEW BD Bloggers Club and VoHRH

I have gotten quite a few responses from stitchers out there for the NEW BBC, I think it will be lots of fun as it has been in the past!! There were some questions about the new site and your info.

Yes, the old club will cease to exist as Becky will be closing that Blog. If you would like to participate you will need to re-register with the new site.

Yes, I will need to get your info that you had sent to Becky sent to me. She has very limited access to a computer and the old information. For this reason it is very important that you resend your info to me so that when I send out the info to your partner it is as complete as possible.

I also wanted to mention to everyone if you know of someone on the old blog and they do not check in very often to the blogging world, if you could please let them know that the other site is closing and that there is a new Blog. I would really hate it if someone had signed up at the old Blog and then missed out on moving to the new site and being a part of the Club. That was why I added an additional week to the cut off date..... so that everyone could get a chance to resign up. Boy, that sounds very convoluted. Basically just let everyone know about the change!!! I know that with all of us rattling the grapevines out there that we will not miss anyone!!! Thanks!!!!!

I will get out emails to everyone and sign them into the blog over the next few days, please don't panic, it is new to me and will take a few to get into the groove!! :)
Also if you have any suggestions about anything please just let me know, I am open to any and all ideas to make it a fun experience.

Well, with all that said..... I did stitch some on the VoHRH, not exciting stitching but fill-in green. Here is a snap of the progress.



Thanks for everyones help and encouragement, and thanks for stopping by, spread the word!!!!

Take care,
edgar

New Stitching Bloggers Birthday Club BLOG

I just posted this on the SBBC site and just wanted to post this here:



Last Tuesday Becky asked if there was anyone out there that would like to help and host the SBBC. I really think this is such a great idea that I didn't want to see it fall to the wayside...so I have set up another Blog to carry on the Club.

Nothing will change in the way things have run in the past as my motto is
"if it ain't broke don't fix it!!"

I will need to have everyone interested in continuing in the club to email me at edgarmatt @ gmail. com (take out the spaces) with all your information including:
Name, mailing address, birth date, blog url and a
wish list or your likes and dislikes that will be sent to your partner.

The new blog is Birthday Blog.
As soon as I get your information I will add you to the blog.

I am extending the sign up time until December 7th
so that everyone has a chance to get added.

Thanks,
edgar

BP and VoHRH - LHN Exchange arrived

Thank you so much for the nice things everyone said yesterday about the snaps!!! I have been collecting soft paste porcelain for 20+ years now and have quite the stack of plates, bowls etc... Most of it I use everyday and just about EVERYTHING I buy I can put in the dishwasher!!! In fact the first thing I do is run a new piece through a cycle to see if it can survive that monster. I have yet to have anything break (knock on wood!!).

I was on the Exchange Board and saw that Jean received the LHN exchange that I sent. For some reason I was really stressed out that this would not arrive, but it did and now I can post some snaps.

I made a pinkeep, this is the front...



Here is the back, I personalized it with initials..



and here is the entire package I sent.



Last night while watching TCM I worked on VoHRH as it is in rotation,
and I finished the fence across the front..... here is a snap...



After I finished the fence, and dealing in white I picked up BP and did a little on it, here is a snap...



Yesterday Rico stopped by a knitting store and picked up some things here are two little sheep he got me. They are knitted pins. Sorry the picture is blurry.




That's about it for today, thanks for stopping by!!!!!

Take care,
edgar

Great Thanksgiving !!!!!

What a great Thanksgiving I had. My sister and her family came down from Vancouver, WA and then Rico's Mom and Nieces came up for a quick visit on Saturday night from Fresno.
So it was a family FULL weekend!!!!!

Thanksgiving was just great, and here is my family at the table.
( Mathew is cutting up, isn't he cute!!)


Starting in on the left it is Dale (my best friend for the last 25 years), Cissy (my sister), Katie the niece, Mat the nephew, Rico, the better half and John my brother-in-law....
all of them saying take the picture!!!
This picture doesn't show the extra tables with food that would not fit on the table...
I made way too much again, but I think there was something there for everybody.

On Friday we loaded up the family and went to the the Exploratorium where the kids could touch everything and there is lots to do. It was super fun and we spent the better part of the day there. It is over by the Palace of fine Arts.....the bit that is left from the 1915
Panama Pacific International Exposition.


Here is a snap of Cissy, John and the kids...


After the Exploratorium we went down to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch at In and Out Burger...
and had burgers...



and fries (they cut up actual potatoes and make them fresh!!!)





I did get a little stitching done on BP and here is a snap of the progress.
I finished the top then turned the upper right corner.


and here is an over all picture of the piece as it stands now.



I hope that everyone had a safe and wonderful Holiday!!!!
Thanks for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

A little stiching

We went shopping last night and then out to dinner to Chevys, getting home kinda late.
That left very little time for much work on QC,
but here is an update snap.


Pretty pitiful amount of work! One chicken and 1/4 of a snowflake. :)
Well, I figure I can slack off one night. Tonight my sister and her family are coming in form Portland so who knows when next I'll stitch!!

Rico went down to the flower market yesterday and came back with loads of flowers for the house here is one of the lovely big arrangements he has made for the holiday.


In addition to the cut flowers for arrangements he got a beautiful orchid plant and a large bunch of tube roses that have been put out in vases in the guest bedroom, bathroom and hall. They really make the spaces they are in smell nice, almost gardenia like.
(my favorite flower, by the way)

Here is the promised snap of the Hillside sampling charts that I was talking about yesterday.




That's about it for today, hope you and yours have a super Thanksgiving!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Take care,
edgar

My First exchange has arrived!!!!!!

Yesterday I received my first ever exchange from the SBEBB and it was Cheryl who was stitching for me!!! Cheryl and I have gotten to know each other over the past year through the Heartfelt Friends RR, so I was very surprised to find that she had stitched me a perfectly gorgeous pinkeep. Here is a snap of the beautiful piece!



She has combined a couple of designs to make one lovely thing. This was not all that she sent I also got a wonderful Cross Stitch pocket calender, magazine, length of Black Watch ribbon and some beautiful steel coloured beads and the greatest fuzzy blue bag, I was truly gifted!!!! Thank you so much Cheryl!!!! One day I am sure I will return the generosity! Here is a snap of the whole package.


I am certainly enjoying the exchange BB!!!

Last night I once again worked on QC. Again avoiding the white........ here is a progress snap.


See that heart to the right of that chicken and under that deer/moose (Meer) ...I had to pull that sucker out twice, count'em twice..... because this is a page break and I can't count!!!! I usually take my working copies and tape them together so that the count is continuous and I am not flipping paper all over the place...... I didn't with QC...I think I am going back and taping this puppy up. Now that chicken in the lace I had not one problem with, go figure!
( I know that is probably a crow or raven, but I calls'em chickens) :)

I also got some more stash, is there no end to the buying, I ask you!!! I saw on Anna's blog the completed Hillside Samplings - "Animal Samplings" it is really a pretty finish and quite the inspiration...... and then I had an idea....blink blink blink (light bulb going off) and remembered that HS did a number of "Sampling" charts and wouldn't they look nice done up as one piece three rows of four. So I bought "Animal, " "House" and "Fruit" Samplings and will work them together into one large piece. How cool will that be. When will I find the time?
I forgot to take a picture of the charts. I pop one up tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by, and just one more THANK YOU goes out to Cheryl!!!!!!

Take care,
edgar

Weekend stitching

Just a quick update on Quaker Christmas. I worked on this piece on Saturday and last night a bit. On Friday I got home and felt like "death on a stick" so I did nothing but crawl into bed and feel miserable. Enough of that - here is a snap of the progress.


I am still working away at page two and have the green almost finished. I should have worked on BP last night but this was on top and it was calling to be worked on.

Just an update on the RR. I received Janice's linen on Friday and her squares are a bit under the 100 x 100 so I am adjusting what I am doing a bit and will start this sometime this week, hopefully. This is a snap of the piece showing the nice wavy border that Janice has done and the square that Lizzy has completed.





Hope everybody had a great weekend!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

Quaker Christmas - continues

Well, I made dinner, cleaned up the kitchen and promptly fell asleep ( or should I say I just passed out, I was really just exhausted) in my chair. At about 7:45 I woke up just in time to watch Ugly Betty, and yes, it is still making me crazy....the story line is SO far fetched that even I have trouble just watching it. I do however really enjoy Judith Light's acting. Which is lifting the silly story out of the mire of mediocrity!! Then the ongoing foolishness that is Grey's Anatomy - don't get me started.......I think these two shows are turning into my little Friday rant. So why don't I just stop watching, you ask???
It is my train wreck and I just can't, lord help me, I have to watch.....
but I will bitch about it!!!!!

I did pick up a project - QC - avoiding that church!! Here is a progress of the piece.


This is the top edge of the piece. I really like the way this is looking.
That's about it for the end of the week. Have a great weekend!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

Answering a question....

Sorry about not getting back to you - Grand Marais - I would think it would depend on if you wanted to do it in silk or overdyed floss - depending on the look you wanted - I have used GASTSarasparilla which is a very nice browny-red colour ( I used it on the border of my RR and you can see that on Cheryl's blog )but just about any of the GAST like Old red Paint, Gingersnap or even Cranberry are all super colours and would be beautiful!! If you wanted it in silk I will need to look at my silks at home tonight for the bricky colours I think might look nice. I really like silk but for these monochromatic pieces I really love the overdyed look and shifting colours.
Hope that helps.

Take care, and thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, I really appreciate them!!!!

edgar

and here is the picture

As you can see I have stopped at the end of the chart, page 2, in the lower left. I will complete this before switching to the 1st page. It will be much easier to do it that way. The way I stitch is in a big club chair that was my grandfathers with a copy of the chart pinned to the arm of the chair on the left. I have to pin it down as I usually have 1 or more chihuas travelling up one side and down the other at different times during the evening. I really don't know what they are looking at from the back of the chair when they reach the summit..... often Peachy will stop there and plop herself on my shoulders behind my neck and then proceed to fall asleep. The only good that come from her plopping is that it stops the traffic across me, my needlework and charts along with my scissors and floss..... these can go flying with all those little feet trampling about.

Sorry it took so ling to get the snap up!!

Take care,
edgar

Stitching on A Quaker Chirstmas

Thank you so much for the ideas for carrots for Thanksgiving. I have done a quickie call around to a few people that are coming and the consensus I think will be the Vonna roasty toasty veg-medley.

Last night we went shopping over to Trader Joe's and stopped at Pier One to pick up some candles. Now just a month ago we got some wood looking pillar candles, very fall, and I wanted some more because those had burned beyond pillar recognition. Those suckers were already 35% off on sale. It hasn't been a month! I guess Christmas has just pushed the fall holiday out of the way. I also find it odd that the candle aroma/smell is called sugared pecans....what on earth does a sugared pecan smell like. I make lots of nut things at Christmas both the savory and sweet. My southern background dontcha know. I do not remember them smelling like these candles. I will have to take an extra sniff this year to see if the nuts have quite the cloying sweet smell like the candles, I doubt it!! :) But they are pretty with the glass rocks and acorns around the base and that is what counts.

I worked on Quaker Christmas last night because I found some of the floss rolled up on the back of my chair so needed to put it up and instead of just putting it up it was the project du jour. Here is a snap of the progress.

The picture will not load now I will try later.

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Take care,
edgar

Working on VoHRH - the church

Last night I worked on VoHRH so I stayed in rotation, Yea!! I did not do very much at all since I have this aversion to stitching white I am not stitching very quickly and even jump to another colour to not stitch the white.
Here is a progress snap.


You can see I worked the white letters then moved on to the fence.....then jumped to the grass then jumped to that tree. The tree is not even done in a brown but a Yellow ochre and it looks very strange floating out in space.

My sister and her family are coming down from Vancouver to have Thanksgiving at our house!! So I am putting together the menu, with all the familial things from our past, I would like to add a carrot dish of some sort......does anyone out there do anything interesting to carrots that you would like to share??? Let me know.

Now, you know by reading my babbling that I really like movies and watch lots and lots of many genres. On Saturday I got a DVD called "Deliver Us from Evil." This was not a horror flick, in the traditional since, as I do not like nor do I watch scary/horror movies, don't like em' don't watch em'!! I can watch just about any tripe or bad movie...however..... this movie is so disturbing I couldn't finish it!!! I did stick with it for about an hour and 1/2 then turned it off. It was recommended to me as a pretty good documentary, and I like those, so I tossed it into my queue. It is a documentary about the pedophiles in the Catholic Church and cover up that followed. The movie is from the families, the victims and the priests point of view.
It is a very disturbing movie, that's about all I have to say about that!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Take care,
edgar

Exchange mailed and some Quaker Christmas

I am mailing my first SBEB - "Specific Designer Exchange - LHN" this morning. This is my first exchange and I hope the recipient enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it. I will post a snap as soon as I know that they got the package as it has quite a way to go.....


Last night while watching Shogun (since there is nothing on the TV to watch anymore!!!) I worked on Quaker Christmas. I know that it was VoHRH night but I felt the need to finish up the large snowflake that I had started on Sunday. Here is a snap of the progress.



I had a question from Barbara yesterday about the floss I am using. I am using the recommended Crescent Colours overdyed floss. This dark green is called Balsam Fir. There are spotted motifs that call for Ye Olde Gold and Cupid which are a bright yellow and bright red, they will really pop when this is finished. I did change the linen to a gray flecked piece of fabric the model used a pale light beige for the linen. I am VERY happy with sticking to the dark green as I really prefer darker colours. This shade of green is coming off as almost black green!!!

I need to stitch up the lottery piece and get started on the next exchanges.... so much to do and here it is Thanksgiving!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Take care,
edgar

A Christmas start and a cold

I started to get a cold on Friday and it settled in my throat so that by Friday evening I sounded pretty much like Brenda Vaccaro. Which sounds alright for her and is her trademark but for me it sounded quite like I had a frog in my throat. I worked all day at the bookstore on Saturday but came home early yesterday not sounding very good at all. I settled in and made some of my favorite tea Manhattan Earl Grey. This is a blend of Earl Grey with the addition of lavender blossoms. I get this wonderful loose tea from a great place called Strand Tea Co that is located in Sandy Oregon. Here is a snap of my tea accoutrement.


You see my Brown Betty my silver strainer and spoon the loose tea with inclusions and tea cosy. And here is my perfect cup of cream tea.....



Of course in my favorite chicken tea mug!!! I felt lots better after I had this first cuppa!!!

I did make a new start on A Quaker Christmas from Bygone stitches. This is really going to be nice I think as I really like the dark green floss. Here is a progress of what I have stitched so far..... through the haze of my sickness, cough cough!! :)




I started watching the Amazing Race last week and last night was the second installment...... it is already making me crazy!!!! Some of those teams are just way too mean to win!!! I think that the stress of the race really brings out the nastiness in everybody. At least last week the team that was thrown off deserved to be, because if you scream at a donkey nobody is going to get a move on!!!! Last night proved that nice ones always drop off and we are left with nasty and nastier!!! Of course I can't stop watching it, I even watched the painfully stupid Family edition of the Amazing Race...what an ordeal!!!

Hope the weekend was good to everyone!!! Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Take care,
edgar